Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis in northern Sweden: Clinical characteristics and practical guidance

Conclusion: Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) patients with high surgical treatment frequency (≥ 1/year, HF) were significantly younger and had a more widespread laryngeal disease compared to a low frequency treated group (< 1 treatment/year, LF). This study confirms the existence of a clinical RRP group, not primarily related to HPV sub-type, but more care-intensive and in need of more vigilant follow-up. Objectives: RRP is associated with high morbidity due to its influence on breathing and voice. The purpose of this study was to characterize RRP patients in northern Sweden and investigate possible predictor factors affecting therapeutic needs. Method: Patients from the regional referral area (northern Sweden) were categorized for age, disease duration, juvenile or adult onset, profile of disease development, number of surgical sessions in relation to disease duration, laryngeal deposition of papilloma, gender, and HPV sub-types, in order to identify patients with increased need for frequent surgical treatment. Results: The median age of the RRP patients (n = 48) was 44.5 years; 34 (71%) were males and 14 (29%) females, most were infected with HPV 6. Patients with high surgical treatment frequency/year were significantly younger and showed more widespread papillomatous vegetation in the larynx, compared to the low frequency treated group.     

Intravenous Thrombolysis Is Safe and Effective for the Cryptogenic Stroke in China: Data From the Thrombolysis Implementation and Monitor of Acute Ischemic Stroke in China (TIMS-China)

Background

The intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) therapy is safe and efficient during the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. Nonetheless, the different outcomes among various stroke subgroups have limited data with regard to the safety and efficacy of cryptogenic stroke (CS). The present study compared the safety and efficacy when IVT with rt-PA was used for the treatment of CS and the other stroke subtypes.

Drug discovery strategies for acute radiation syndrome

Introduction: There are at the minimum two major, quite different approaches to advance drug discovery. The first being the target-based drug discovery (TBDD) approach that is commonly referred to as the molecular approach. The second approach is the phenotype-based drug discovery (PBDD), also known as physiology-based drug discovery or empirical approach.

Area covered: The authors discuss, herein, the need for developing radiation countermeasure agents for various sub-syndromes of acute radiation syndromes (ARS) following TBDD and PBDD approaches. With time and continuous advances in radiation countermeasure drug development research, the expectation is to have multiple radiation countermeasure agents for each sub-syndrome made available to radiation exposed victims.

Expert opinion: The majority of the countermeasures currently being developed for ARS employ the PBDD approach, while the TBDD approach is clearly under-utilized. In the future, an improved drug development strategy might be a ‘hybrid’ strategy that is more reliant on TBDD for the initial drug discovery via large-scale screening of potential candidate agents, while utilizing PBDD for secondary screening of those candidates, followed by tertiary analytics phase in order to pinpoint efficacious candidates that target the specific sub-syndromes of ARS.     

The relationships among monocyte subsets,miRNAs and inflammatory cytokines in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Background

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) causes irreversible myocardial damage and release of inflammatory mediators, including cytokines, chemokines and miRNAs. We aimed to investigate changes in the levels of cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α and IL-10), miRNAs profiles (miR-146 and miR-155) and distribution of different monocyte subsets (CD14++CD16-, CD14++CD16+, CD14+CD16++) in the acute and post-healing phases of AMI.

Eating sweets without the wrapper: perceptions of HIV and sexually transmitted infections among street youth in western Kenya

Street-connected youth in Kenya are a population potentially at risk of HIV transmission, yet little is known about their perceptions and experiences of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), despite their living in an HIV endemic region. We sought to elucidate the language and sociocultural factors rooted in street life that impact on street-connected young people’s knowledge of and perceptions about the prevention and transmission of STIs, and their diagnosis and treatment, using qualitative methods in western Kenya. We conducted a total of 25 in-depth interviews and 5 focus-group discussions with 65 participants aged 11–24 years in Eldoret, Kenya. Thematic analysis was conducted and data were coded according to themes and patterns emergent until saturation was reached. In general, street-connected young people knew of STIs and some of the common symptoms associated with these infections. However, there were many misconceptions regarding transmission and prevention. Gender inequities were prominent, as the majority of men described women as individuals who spread STIs due to unhygienic practices, urination and multiple partners. Due to misconceptions, gender inequity and lack of access to youth-friendly healthcare there is an urgent need for community-based organisations and healthcare facilities to introduce or augment their adolescent sexual and reproductive health programmes for vulnerable young people.     

生长抑素及其类似物联合质子泵抑制剂应用于急性非静脉曲张性上消化道出血的循证分析

目的 系统评价生长抑素及其类似物联合质子泵抑制剂（proton pump inhibitor，PPI）治疗急性非静脉曲张性上消化道出血（acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding，ANVUGIB）的有效性和安全性，并分析其用药经济性。方法 采用循证医学方法搜集生长抑素及其类似物联合PPI治疗ANVUGIB的RCT、队列研究进行meta分析，得到相应的有效性及安全性分析结果，并进行成本-效果分析。结果 最终纳入6个RCT均未接受内镜治疗，共610例受试者。Meta分析结果显示，生长抑素及其类似物联合高、中、低剂量PPI治疗在以下方面均优于单用高、中、低剂量PPI治疗，差异有统计学意义，总有效率[OR=3.34，95%CI（2.03，5.47），P<0.000 01]、止血时间[MD=-9.04，95%CI（-11.69，-6.38），P<0.000 01]、输血量[MD=-1.10，95%CI（-1.46，-0.74），P<0.000 01]；在不良反应发生率方面，2组差异无统计学意义[OR=0.49，95%CI（0.11，2.12），P=0.34]。ANVUGIB患者予生长抑素联合高、中、低剂量奥美拉唑与单用高、中、低剂量奥美拉唑进行成本-效果分析，增量成本效果比分别为172.28，217.26，330.37，敏感性分析后显示结果稳定。而接受内镜治疗后应用生长抑素及其类似物联合PPI治疗仅1个队列研究，研究结果显示内镜治疗成功后联合治疗并不优于PPI单药治疗。结论 现有证据表明，生长抑素及其类似物联合PPI治疗未经内镜治疗的ANVUGIB患者为较有效的方案，两者安全性相当、耐受性较好，从药品直接成本考虑，高剂量PPI组联合治疗较中、低剂量PPI组联合治疗更具有成本效果性。而对于经内镜下止血治疗的患者两者疗效相当，可考虑单用PPI。